A 300-meter-long Strömberg Park production hall designed in the 1970s by architect EskilHaldin is chosen by ABB as the building in which to bring its operations together. An impressive makeover transforms the old hall into a multi-space office environment for 700 people, bringing together a unique history, high-level expertise and modern technology
From an industrial warehouse turned into ABB's headquarters in Strömberg Park. Multi-space office between history, excellence and technology
Strömberg Park is a culturally and historically valuable industrial environment located in Vaasa, Finland, which began to take shape in 1940 by Alvar Aalto's urban plan. In 2019, global engineering company ABB, which owns most of the area, needs to bring its operations together under one roof
The principle behind Parviainen Architects' interior design is an open and creative dialogue between the old and the new. The factory's grand staircase was exploited in vertical and horizontal directions by building a new interior mezzanine floor and placing a 250-meter-long interior street at its upper level. In addition to serving as a light element that visually and functionally delineates the building's large spatial volumes, the internal street running through the structure is also a meeting place for visitors and staff. Below the new mezzanine level is the garage
The new gabled window and balcony at the end of the interior street correspond to the formal language and scale of the old windows that architecturally dominate the longitudinal facade of the building. In keeping with the new spatial concept, the large windows are also visually prominent from the inside and are an essential part of the working environment
There are no corridors in the new ABB building: pedestrian movement occurs naturally through a varied and richly visual spatial sequence. The new spaces bordered by the large bright glass surfaces express the spirit of an era of open information technology and a new interactive operating culture
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